


the future's in our hands (and we will never be the same again)

by sexyspork



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Civil War Team Iron Man, Gen, Sheriff Stilinski's Name is John, Stilinski Family Feels, Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-15
Updated: 2017-11-15
Packaged: 2019-02-02 23:14:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12736281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sexyspork/pseuds/sexyspork
Summary: Heaven save him from superpowered teens and their overdeveloped sense of responsibility.





	the future's in our hands (and we will never be the same again)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [rightsidethru](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rightsidethru/gifts).



> This came about after several conversations with rightsidethru and our mutual love for Tony Stark. This is self beta'd, and I haven't written in literal years, so sorry (not sorry) about the tenses and run on commas. 
> 
> Title: Things We Lost in the Fire by Bastille

 

 

>  

" **Hey, Boss**?" FRIDAY's tone made Tony glance up from the Rescue armor's latest upgrades, a frown beginning to furrow his eyebrows.

" **Take a look at this** ," she continued, the blue hologram flickering from the armor schematics to a list of Stark Industries protective gear. Gear that was designed primarily for police departments and security firms. An order was in the process of being placed, and as he continued to watch, the numbers slowly began to tick up as someone was systematically going through everything SI offered. Eyebrows raising in confusion, as this was nothing new, because someone was _always_ buying his designs, but then Friday pulled up the delivery location and he audibly groaned.

Heaven save him from superpowered teens and their overdeveloped sense of responsibility.

“The Sheriff is going to kill me,” he groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“ **Probably not. He merely requested that the bills not be touched**.”

He leaned back in his chair and glared at the ceiling, “And I wonder how Stiles knew exactly where the catalog for this was located.”

“ **You always said he was too smart for his own good** _,_ ” FRIDAY said innocently, like butter wouldn’t melt in her metaphorical mouth. It wouldn’t, obviously, but nothing would stop the flare of pride in his chest for his baby girl, growing so damn fast.

He climbed to his feet, already pulling up the still growing list on his phone. He had to hand it to the kid, he knew exactly what the Sheriff’s Department was lacking, or what needed to be replaced entirely, and he was diligently going through each and every item Stark Industries offered. “He’s in the kitchen, right?”

Because sense of responsibility or not, between Stiles and Peter, they were eating him out of house and home ( _home! He had a_ home _and a_ family _and the thought of losing them_ terrified _him_ ).

FRIDAY offered an affirmative as he entered the elevator that would take him to the common area, and Tony took a deep, fortifying breath. “FRIDAY, let him place the order, but use my funds instead. I’ll explain it to his father later.”

The elevator doors slid open quietly, and Tony took a moment to watch his intern.

Stiles was always in motion, and now was no different as he rapidly tapped a stylus against his temple, eyes focused solely on the tablet in front of him. Far too many empty redbulls littered the island counter, and Tony made a mental note to have Friday cut the order in half from the weekly grocery delivery. At least, Tony consoled himself, there was a half-eaten banana next to a demolished container of curly fries.

Wandering into the kitchen under the guise of pouring a cup of coffee, Tony allowed a moment of quiet to give Stiles a false sense of security. But from the way Stiles’ eyes glanced at him and narrowed in suspicion, Tony’s act of nonchalance needed some work.

“So, how are you going to explain several hundred thousand dollars’ worth of equipment to your dad, who frankly, is astute enough that I have no idea how you think you get away with anything.” Ignoring Stiles’ indignant cry of _FRIDAY!_ , he continued, “And finish your banana, no one is allowed to get scurvy under my roof.”

Tony is somewhat impressed, because he had no idea someone could eat a banana angrily as he swiped the tablet and glanced over it with curiosity, eyebrows raising once again. “Are you seriously requesting jobs be hired within the county to take care of the servers for the body cams?”

“Unemployment is 4.9% higher in Beacon county than the rest of the state, and you know as well as I do how much maintenance and costs it takes to have body cams. It’ll keep them safe while providing jobs and election year is coming up.” Stiles said, looking very much like he wanted toss the stylus at Tony's head, all the while making grabby hands at the tablet Tony had stolen.

“Stiles, your dad stated, quite emphatically if you recall, that you weren’t allowed to pay for anything he deemed as his responsibility.” Surprisingly, it had been his one request when Tony had broached offering a SI contract to the teen. According to the Sheriff, it had been hard enough to corral Stiles _before_ he wielded unimaginable cosmic power and had the ability to open portals to go wherever he pleased, whenever he wanted. And if salt-of-the-earth John Stilinski couldn't control his son, Stephen and Tony didn't have a chance in hell.

“I’m just doing my duty as a tax paying citizen. And being a family means it’s a family responsibility,” Stiles grumbled, clearly giving up on getting the tablet back, but waving away the mess on the kitchen island with a careless flick of his wrist. Watching the trash vanish because literal magic was impressive, even though the scientist in Tony twitched because _magic_.

“Well, as long as you didn’t pay the mortgage I can say this was all me and-” Tony paused, eyes narrowing as Stiles twitched very suspiciously. “Tell me you didn’t pay the mortgage.”

“I didn’t pay the mortgage!” The phrase was true, but Stiles still looked shifty enough that Tony directed his attention to his AI.

“FRIDAY?”

“ **He didn’t pay off the mortgage,** ” FRIDAY said, but there was something all too cheerful about her tone. “ **The mortgage company that holds the notes for both Sheriff Stilinski and Ms. McCall’s properties, however, was bought out with a very impressive windfall on the condition that all held mortgage notes be considered paid in full.** ”

“FRIDAY!” Stiles exclaimed, throwing up his hands in exasperation, as Tony felt the impending headache start to bloom behind his eyes.

“FRIDAY, at least tell me he didn’t pay off the hospital bills,” Tony all but begged.

“ **No can do, Boss. A non-profit charity for law enforcement officers and their families helped all the deputies in Beacon County with any outstanding medical debt.** ” She was far to chipper and Tony resolved to tell the Sheriff who was complicit in Stiles underhanded tactics to get around his dad’s requests about Stiles’ first paycheck.

“Stiles, your dad is going to kill me.” Tony grumbled, handing over the tablet back to the sulking teen as he directed his attention to his own phone, already emailing Pepper about possibly going into the mortgage business. At the very least, after acquiring Stiles’ startup, they could offer disabled veterans homes designed for their needs in mind. And the September Foundation could easily acquire another charity under its umbrella.

Stiles lifted his chin in defiance, “No he won’t.”

“When he said not to let you do anything frivolous, I assumed he meant something like buying an island.” Something in him soothed at Pepper’s immediate positive response, already putting their acquisitions team on the projects.

Stiles scoffed, wiggling golden glowing fingers in Tony’s direction, “Why the hell would I need an island when I can go anywhere I want at literally anytime?”

“Stiles-”

He was interrupted with a rather impressive glare; clearly Pepper has been stealing his intern again. “I had to do it. He’s been under so much stress and you _know_ he has a bad heart. You know, I know, Stephen knows, and _he_ knows. If this helps keep him healthy, gives him one less thing to worry about and keeps him _safe_ , I’ll do it a thousand times over.”

Stiles’ eyes, so golden in the fading afternoon light of the kitchen, are firm and resolute and without a hint of remorse. And it felt like a punch to the gut, a shield to the chest, and his heart being stolen from his chest all at once. Tony looks at him, _really_ looks at him, and his fingers spasm around the phone in his hand as guilt, _always_ the guilt, begins to eat at his conscience.

Stiles looks tired, in a way they all look these days, bags dark under his eyes and skin pale with too little sun. He’s too skinny, though his muscles are still defined, but even with a snack on hand, every mounting crisis has him using more and more magic than his body can physically keep up with. Tony looks at him, and feels dread begin to pool in his stomach. Calm eyes, but old in a way he knows to his core; battle after battle, scar after scar, until you look in the mirror and don’t recognize who is looking back.

Tony looks at him and thinks in horror-- _I’m going to watch you die_.

He thinks of all his brilliant, beautiful, _broken_ children; of Stiles, of Peter, of Harley, of Riri, of Kamala, of Kate. _I’m going to watch you_ all _die_.

Because none of them know when to give in, when to give up. They don’t hesitate when they throw themselves into danger, and all he can do, all the Avengers can do, is watch. Well, not all he can do, he thinks, furious with himself, because he refuses to think he can't do something to change this. He is Tony Stark, and Tony Stark is Ironman, and he is going to find a way to cut the wire.

“You know, this is the public catalog. All the really good stuff is on my private servers,” he offers, and is gratified by the way Stiles’ eyes light up in interest.

“FRIDAY, you held out on me?” Stiles questions, the list already pulled up by FRIDAY, as Tony just watches and waits.

The horror he saw in the stars over New York is still coming, but even if he isn’t enough, even if he can’t save the Earth, he is going to save his kids, one little step at a time.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Why was Stiles making so much as an intern? That's a secret between him and Pepper and Tony, and they all have signed NDAs drafted by Foggy Nelson and Jennifer Walters :D
> 
> And I know Kate being there doesn't make much sense without Clint, but I love her and she's excused from Clint's moment of insanity.


End file.
